Car-coupling.



R. E L. JANNEY, P. KINNE & W. E. TRUMP.

GAR COUPLING.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 16, 1908.

Patented Nov. 24, 1908.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

"R. E. L. JANNEY, E. P. KINNE & W. E. TRUMP.

GAR COUPLING.

APPLIOATION FILED MAY 16, 1908.

Patented Nov. 24. 1908.

4 SHEBTS-SHEET 3.

R. E. L. JA-NNEY, E. P. KINNERZ W. E. TRUMP.

OAR COUPLING. I

APPLICATION FILED MAYIB, 1908. 905,078.; Patented Nov. 24. 1908.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

v r 15,7 7 1s I a 1 5 Maw, 7 gmliui 7 ROBERT E. L. JANNEY, OF CHICAGO,ILLINO IS, AND TRUMP, or ALLIANCE, onto, ASSIGNORS TO AMERICAN STEELFOUNDRIES, A oonronn TION OF NEW JERSEY.

Specification of Letters Patent.

EDMUND e. KINNE AND WILLIAM E.

canoonrnmc.

resented Nov. 24, mos.

Application filed, na 16,1908. Serial no. assess.

To all uiho'm may concern:

Be it known that We, I Net, of Chicago, county of Cook, StateofIllinois, and EDMUND P. KINNE and WIL- -LIAM E. TRUMP, of Alliance,county of Stark, State of Ghio, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Oar-Couplers, of which the following is a specifica-'tion.

couplers also the lock lore of the pivoted knuckle, a lock therefor, anda lifter for operating the lock.v A coupler of this general type isdisclosed in the patent to Schroeder ofAugust 6, 1907, No. 862,204.

There are two general types of .M. C. B. couplers, in one of which theported on the tail of theknuckle when the latter is open, and'drops backinto looking position when the knuckle is closed in coupling. In thistype of coupler the lock, or its operating means, projects, when. theknuckle is open, through the wallfof the couplenhead, and beyond itsnormal position when the knuckle is closed, and is exposed to the dangeract of coupling. In the other type of coupler,"such as the original Janney, the lock is in the normal or lower position when the knuckleis'open and .must be again moved when the coupling is made. The firstde- Our invention relates to that class of coupscribed type of coupleris usually preferred because of coupling,

,i'rvhen it 'is freed from the knuckle; In these classes of andlifterare some times combined in a single piece, typified by avertically-movilig liftlng and locking pin, but in some instances,patent above mentioned, the lock is disposed 'wholly within the headof-the coupler and is operated by a separate lifting mechanism whichextends through the wall of the coupler. It isdesirable to provide alock of such size and strength .as to withstand all of the shocks andstrains of service and to inclose it wholly within the head.

of the coupler so as to protect it against contact with parts extraneousto the coupler. It is also desirable to provide a means for and openingthe knuckle strong and not liable to be cars are thrown together liftingthe lock which shall be broken when the in coupling, but

ROBERT E. L. JAN4 therefore,

inclosed within M. C. Bwtype which employ a.

and exposed beyond the normal lock is sup-' of breaking during thegravity into the as in the Schroeder this latter object is defeated whenthese lifting means are left exposed beyond their normal position. i

It is the. general object of our invention, to provide a coupler.whichshall have a stron and substantial lock wholl be maintained inposition to allow the have a strongand substantial means for liftin thelock and opening the knuckle, such lilting and -oening means being actedupon by the knuckle only during the opening movement position onlyduring the 'act of uncoupling. These several objects we attain in acoupler in which the uncoupling mechanism is adapted to the M. C. B;standard type of chain and clevis.

In our construction we employ a lock and a separate lifter but soconstruct and arrange these parts with reference to each other and thetail of the knuokle'that when the litter is disengaged from the lock-setby the opening of the knuckle it will drop to 'ts original position andso remain during the coupler-head; which wi l nuckle to be closedwithout being again i moved or lifted; and which shall the wholemovement of the kn-uckle, while the lock will knuckle tail. I v Anotherfeature ofour inventionrelates to the provision of means for-preventingthe creeping of the look while under draft. Vi e apply theanti-creepingprovisions to the lock itself and the lock remain supported by thefalling by 'grav- Y ity to its normal positionlrenders them effe'ctiveand the lock cannot creep or move toward the released position by anymovement of the knuckle but must be moved to a different position by thelifter before it can be position. These anti-creeping provisions arefunctionally independent of the lifter-and of the draft.

VVeare aware that been provided with anti-creeping provisions sothatwhen the lock falls by gravity some partthereof engages the draw'head orthe lifter and is moved initially by the lifter from this position whenopening the look, but in such former constructions this anticreepingprovision did not prevent the look from being moved by the tail of theknuckle out of engagement with the anti-creeping prov sion.

moved toward its unlocking gravity locks have resting on the knuckletail, and, in full lines, the lifter in its lowermost position, while Inthe accompanying drawings, Figure-1. 1s a vertical longitudinalsectional view of our improved coupler showing the coupler closed .andlocked andthe lifter down. Fig.

2. is a similar view showing the lifter partly raised and disengagingthe look from the I anti-creeping devices. Fig. 3. is a similar thedotted lines indicating the view showing the lock released andthe lifteron the dock-set. Fig. 4. is a similar view showing the knuckle partlyopen, the lock said lifter is alsoshown in dotted-lines in the act ofbeing kicked oif the lock-set. Fig.

5. is a similar view' showing the knuckle being thrown open by the hfterand opener, position into which the lifter and lock will drop ifreleased. Fig. 6. is a horizontal section through the coupler-head andshank, showing the knuckle and-lock'in plan and the lifter in section.Fig. '7. .is a sectional elevation on the line 7-7 of Fig.6. showing theknuckle and lifter in elevation and the lock in cross-section. Fig. 8.is a section on the line 88 of Fig. 6. looking in the direction of thearrows. Fig. 9. is a fragmentary View showing the lock in' side elevation, andshowing the anti-creeping mechanism. Fig. 10. is a similar viewshowing a slightly modified construction of anti ecree'ping m'echanism.-Fig. 11-. is a vertical section through the'shank and a part of the headof the coupler. Fig. 12. tiVQVlBW of the lock-and lifter engaged. 13. isaperspectiveview of the knuckle, an Fig. 14.. is a plan view of thelock.

In the drawings 15 represents the couplerhead. or casing, 16the knuckle,17 the lock and 18 thelifter, these parts being so constructed andcombined with each other that the knuckle is held in the closed positionby the lock, and said lock is released from the locking position by thevertical movement the lifter is allowed to drop back to the of thelifter and is supported on the tail of the knuckle when the latter isopen, while normal position. The lock shown in the drawings is supportedat its rear end within the shank of the coupler, its forward end beingheavyand provided with ailat face 'ing a curved u to-m'ake contact withthe vertical face of the knuckle tail and being supported, when in itslowermost positiornby a ledge 15 formed in one side of the dra'whead,as.

shown in Figs. 1, 2, 7, 9 and 10. The lock is'provided at its rear end'with integral trunnions which may be in the form shown particularly inFigs. 9. and 12. wherein 17 represents one of the trunnion membershavper surface and terminating at its rearwar side in the plane of therear end of the body of the lock, and 17* a second member which has asymmetrical curved port on extending beyond the rear end of is aperspe'ccreeping device. the position shown in Fig. 2, however, withclined or cam surface 15 and an upper vertical wall 15*, as best seen inFig. 9, while theseat 15 of the'vertical web 15 is similarly shaped, asseen in Fig. 11. The bottom wall of the coupler shank is provided with aled e or shoulder 15, with which a rearward y projecting hook 17ontrunnion 17 engages when the lock-is in its normal lowermost position,as shown in Figs. 1 and 5). hen the rear end of the lock l7-is raised,as shown in Fig. 2, and as-hereinafter de scribed, the hook 17 of thetrunnion 17 will be at once disengaged from the led e 15, and then theforward end of the loc may be raised, as shown in Fig. 3, but until thisdisengagement takes place said hook 17 and ledge 15 will effectuallyprevent any movement of said lock on its pivot, due to the fact thatboth the vertical Web 15. and ,the'post 15 will prevent rearwardmovement of the locking bar, and will thus not as an anti When initiallyraised to the upper sides of the trunnions 17* and 17 in contact,respectively, with the upper wall. of seat 15 in vertical web 15, andthe underside of overhanging flange 15, the rear end of lock 17 is freeto turn on its pivot, the enlargement formed by inclined surface 15 onvertical member'15", and the corresponding inclined surface inseat 15 ofweb 15,

affording the necessary room. 7 During this turning'or rocking movementof lock 17 the rear endl'f of said lock will contact with a ledge orpost 15, while undu'eforward movement of the lock will be prevented bythe engagement of the forward edges of the trunnions 17 and 17". withthe incline 15 and the corresponding incline in seat 15? of web 15*.

As shown in the plan view Fig. 14, the lock is provided on .its sideopposite the lockingpface with a shoulder 17 which may be used as anadditional means for preventing the upward creeping of. the look by itsengagement with a forwardl projecting rib or web 15*, this shoulder unerlying the extreme edge of said rib or web when the parts are in thenormal locked position as shown in Fig. 1. When the rear of-the lock israised and the rotative movem ent begins, the axis of rotation beingabove the axis of the tion, the movement will take place in such mannerthat the shoulder will clear the forward edge. of the web. It is obviousthat in.

the return movement of the lock to its normal position the contactbetween its rear end and the post 15 att-he rear wall of the seat pocketwill permit the lock to descend to its position beneath the web and thefront edge of the trunnion contacting with the cam surface 15 willinsure the rengag mentof the hook 1'? the ledge 15, thus makingeffective again the anti-creeping provisions.

As a further assurance against creeping it will be noted from anexamination of Fig. 9. that the seat for the rear endof the lock when innormal'position has a vertical wall 15 below the cam surface 15, andthat if the front end of the lockshoulel begin to rise under draftthecontact between the forward edge of the trunnion and such vertical wall,

taken in connection with the engagement of the rear end 17 of the lockwith, the rear vertical wall of the seat formed by the upstanding post15 would prevent such creeping movement.

In Fig. 10. we have shown the lock pro vided with cylindrical trunnions,the hook being omitted, and reliance being placed, to prevent thecreeping, mainly upon the contact of the shoulder 17 on the lock withthe anti-creeping flange or web 15* of the casting. It will also benotlid that the upper part of the seat for the rear end of the lock hasa greater longitudinal diameter than the lower portion thereof so thatwhen the lock is raised into said larger portion of the seat it' mayrotate freely therein, while whenin the lowered position the verticalrear wall 17 of the lock so looks with the post 15 as to prevent suchrotative movement.

' While we have described several provi sions forpreventing the creepingof the lock, it will be understood thahthey may be used eitherindependently or jointly.

The. formof the is best shown in Fig. 12. and in the form shown is avertical, movable member havi a lateral or outstanding shoulder 18 toengage beneath the lock, and a knuckle open mg member 18 to engage theknuckle tail,

In the coupled position the shoulder 18? may be in'contact with thelower surface of the lock, and this contact is about midway of thelength of the lock but rearward of its enter of gravity, with the resultthat when the lifter is raised i t first lifts-and disen gages the rearend of the'lock from the control of the anti-creeping devices and, thenrotates the lock scribed until it is tailof the knuckle. To insure thelifter picking up the lock in the rear of its center cf'gmvi-ty andthereby disengaging it from upon its bearings as. de-

of the trunnion with Now, if the knuckle lifter and opening piece andforsome distance engage the wall of the free from contact with the itsanti-creeping provisions, the couplerhead is provided with an openingthe forward wall 15 of which forms a guide surface for the lifter duringthe initial opening movement and until the lock shall have beendisengaged from its anti-creeping provisions and is in position torotate. When the un-, locking movement has roceeded until the openingmember 18 of the lifter contacts with the tail of the knuckle, if theknuckle is engaged with the knuckle of another coupler, the movement canproceed no further. but the lifter will be forced forward by reason ofits cam shoulder 18 riding on the lower inclined surface of the lockuntil it is in the lock-set position (see Fig. 3.). be opened the lifterwill be drivenoff the lock-set by the contact of the rib 16 on the tailof the knuckle with the curved bulged portion 18 of the lifter and thelatter will drop to its original position as shown by the full lines inFig. 4., the

lock remaining supported on the tail of the knuckle.

The lifter has rather deep depressions 18 and-18, respectively, aboveand below the bulged projections 18, theformer permitting the knuckle toclose whenthe lifter is down without strikingthe litter and the latterpermitting the tail of the knuckle to pass. through in the ing member18" acting as a cam on the lower nclined surface of the knuckle tailduring the major part of the movement, while the final opening impetusis given to the knuckle when the lifter contacts with the rear wall ofthe opening in the top of the couplerhead, as shown in Fig. 5., whichacts as a fulcrum to throw the lower forward, the knuckle tail restingthen in the deepest partof the depression 18.

to facilitate the freeing of the the pulling out of In order knuckle inthe event of the coupler due to the failure of the draft connection, therears ide of the lifter at the point of'contact with the wall of thecoupler below said point is cut away to provide a downwardly andforwardly inclined cam surface 18 which will coupler under the pull ofthe lifting chain thus increasing the leverage of, andreducing thefriction on, the lifter and thus assisting in raising the lock tofi'eethe knuckle.' The anticreepi features being independent'of the draft,the only friction to be overcome in is that due to the turning'of theirhearing surfaces. knuckle is flattened as shown the parts on at 16 topro the! em ltwill be is helid or suppaided its 'imised posisonbyitheemraa of as re and its trunmions with? the walls of its pocket 0)this exigency' The side of the ville apiece between it and the lock toreceive nqted'tliait the rear end of the Y opening movement, ,theopenend of the lifter" seat. thecaiu ledge l5 and the similar ledge inthe seat 15" of the web l5 cooperating with'the trunuions and rear endof thelock and the upstanding post to support the lock in its raisedposition the front end of the lock being supported as already described.Instead of the lock being supported by the trunnions on the cam ledges,these ledges may be omitted. as shown in Fig. 10, and the upper portionof the retaining walls enlarged to permit rotating the lock so that whenthe lock is raised the vertical rear wall 17 will turn into contact withthe post 15 which will supportthe lock in a raised position. While-wehave shown the rear end of the lock contacting with-and having aneccentric or c'am contact with the upstanding post 15 it is obvious thatthis eccentric rocking may take place between the trunnions themselvesand the guide ribs only and the upstanding post may be omitted.

In assembling the parts, the lifter is first put in place. The lock maythen be inserted by turning it so that the'trunnions extend in avertical plane with their curved surfaces toward the lifter and with thetrunnion 17 b upward, and then by giving it a quarter turn it will dropdown into its proper position, the hook 17 engaging over the ledge 1s"andthe forward end of the lock resting on the bottom wall of the couplerabove the lock-set, or the lock may be first 'inserted and the lifterdropped down to a position as in throwing the knuckle, when if the lockbe raised the lateral shoulder 18*may be swung under the lock and theparts will fall to their natural position. The knuckle then beinginserted and the pivot pin put in place, it. is obvious that the lockwill always be held in its proper position by its contact with the innerside of the knuckle when the latter is closed and by the lifter when theknuckle is open and the lock is in the raised position resting on thetail of the knuckle. l-leretofore locks operating on trunnions have notbeen securely retained, in their seat and are liable to displacementwhile the couplers are being handled in shipment. In

our improved construction the lock is re-" tained securely in its seat,without the use of extra parts.

The operation of our improved coupler will be obvious from the foregoingdescription taken in connection with the illustrations of the variouspositions shown in the drawings. Itis also obvious that the principlesof our invention are capable of embodiment in other structural forms,which may be made consonant with the principles of our invention whichinclude broadly such a combination of knuckle, lock and lifter as willenable the lock to be lifted and the lifter to return to its normalunexposed position, and such anti-creeping provisions as willeffectually prevent crceping'of the lock under draft in combination withmeans for freeing the lock from engagement with said anti-creepingprovisions and then free the same from the knuckle.

structurally our invention comprises, broadly stated, a lock having ashifting pivot and normally incapable of rotation until such pivot isshifted toa new osition, in combination with means for holding the lockin normal position and for shifting it to a new position and thenrotating it on its pivot to free the knuckle. Also our improvementscomprise, broadly stated, a lifter of such construction that it shallserve to shift the lock pivot, to rotate the lock on its pivot and toreturn to its normal position leaving the lock elevated but preventingit from becomingdisplaced while riding on the tail of the knuckle. Thesefunctions require that the lock and lifter shall be separate and thatthe engagement between them shall be broken when the lifter hasperformed itsprimary function. Another structural characteristlc of ourinvention is that the lifter, while capable of being sustained on thelock- -set, is disengaged therefrom upon the'opening of the knuckle and,by engagement therewith of the knuckle tail and shall be returned toits normal position by gravity, thus insuring the return of the lifterout of harms way when the knuckle is open and providing against anypossible contact therewith of the knuckle or other parts'in coupling orwhen the ears are thrown to ether. Our invention also affords a coup erin which the lock is easily manipulated, because the initial movement ofthe lifter is opposed only by'the weight of the rear end of the lockwhile the lifting of the front and heavier end of the lock isaccomplished by a rocking movement which is facilitated by the slidingaction of the lifter on the lock.

The form of .the lifter also affords an effective leverage in openingthe knuckle, the lock holding the lifter forward with its cam projectionin contact with the knuckle tail duringthe initial opening movement,while the final throw of the knuckle is accomplished by the tiltingmovementof the lifter, and finally the lifter is so fashioned as tofacilitate the freeing of the lock to open the knuckle in case ofaccidental breakage of the draft rigging. thus preventing the couplerbeing pulled out and dropping on the track.

\Ve claim:

1. In a car coupler, the combination with a pivoted knuckle. of a lockadapted to be 60 adapte from the anti-creepln provislons, then move apivoted knuckle, of a lock ada ted to. be supported by the knuckle-whent e latter is open, and a combined lock lifter, knuckle opener and lockset adapted to dro. to its lowermost position when the knuckle is open.3. In a car coupler, the'combination with a pivoted knuckle,.and a onepiece lock therefor, of, means on "said lock for preventing creepingmovement of said lock 1n any .dr-

rectlon toward which the draft on said knuckle may tend to force saidlock, and

means for first withdrawing said lock from said anti-creepilprovisio'ns'and then moving the same to t 1e unlocking position.

4. In a car coupler, the combination with a knuckle oscillating upon afixed axis, of-a lock therefor having a floatin pivot, and means forlifting said lock to the unlockin position said means operating to firstshi t the pivot of said lock and to then lift it to release the knuckle.

5. In a car coupler, the'combination of a ivoted knuckle, 'a locktherefor having a oating' pivot, means for preventing the creepingmovement of said look under draft,

and means for initially shifting said pivot to.

free said look from its anti-creeping provisionsand then raising saidlock to its unlocking position.

3o 6. In a car cou ler, the combination with 4 a lmuckle oscillatingupon a fixed axis, of a lock therefor having a floating ivot, meansapplied to the rear end of the ock for preventing the creeping movementthereof under draft, and means for lifting the lock said means bein oerated to first. free the rear end of the Iocl: from its anti-creepingrovisions and then to lift it to release-the muckle. 40 7. In a carcoupler, the combination with a pivoted knuckle, of a lock therefor,said lock being; normally held against creeping movement dueto thedraft, and a lifter adapted to be operated first to release the lookfrom. its anti creepin provisions and then to move the same to re easethe knuckle,

' said lock being adapt'ed to rest upon and be supported by the tail ofthe knuckle when M open, and the lifter being adapted to return to itsnormal unexposed position when the knuckle is opened, substantially asdescribed.

j 8. Ina can coupler, the combination with a ivoted knuckle, of a lockarranged wholly wlthin the coupler casing with its front end 'adaptedtocontact-the knuckle and prevent its opening and its rear end engagingpro-' jections'on the casing-to prevent its rotation, and a lifter recirocable through an openin in the top wa l of the coupler and when raisedtofirst free the lock the same to release t e knuckle and finally todrop. back to normal, unexposed position leavi' the lock supported onthe tail of the I knuck e.

9. In a car coupler, a knuckle lock having a pivot vertically movable tooperative position.

10. In a car coupler, -a ivoted knuckle look, a seat for said pivot s'said pivot to shift therein, and liftin ,means for said .lock adapted toinitially shift said pivot in its seat.

11. In a car coupler, aknuckle lock having a floating pivot, andanti-creeping,pro-

' visions applied to said lock at its pivotal end.

12. In a car coupler, a knuckle lock having a floating pivot and aneccentric rock ing movement thereon and an anti-creeping provisionforward of its ivot.

13. Ina car cou ler, a uekle lock, a seat for the rear end of said lock,and means for supporting the rear end of the lock above its seat whenout of locking position.

14. Ina'carcoupler, a lock lifter having its front edge provided with abulged portion to contact the tail of the knuck e and a depression abovesaid bulge to ermit the knuckle to 0 en and close when t e lifter is inthe norma position.

15. In a car coupler, a lock lifter normally disengaged from the lockand having its front face forwardly bulged for contact with the tail ofthe knuckle, and having a depression above said bulge to ermit thereturn of the knuckle when the li or is lowered, and a depression belowsaid bulge whose aped to permit wall contacts with the tail of theknuckle in the final opening-movement.

.16. In a car coupler, a knuckle havin a flattened portion in the rearof the locking face of the knuckle to receive the lifter,-and having'acam rib beyond said flattened portion.

17. In a car coupler, the combination with the body portion thereof, anda pivoted knuckle therein, of 'a pivoted lock therefor, a separatelifter for said lock, and means forming part of the pivot of said bodyportion for engaging said lock to revent the removal thereof while saidknuck e and lifter are in osition.

18. n a car coupler, the combination with the body portion thereof, anda pivoted knuckle therein, of .a lock having trunnions therefor, aseparate lifter for said lock, and

means forming part of said body ortion engaging said trunnions to retaint e latter in operative position while said knuckle and lifter are inosition.

OBERT E. L. JANNEY. EDMUND P. KINN E. WILLIAM E. TRUMP. Witnesses:WVILMAM J. Grammar, K. E. MILLER.

